Disordered Eating & Dieting

Disordered eating is a disturbed and unhealthy eating pattern that can include restrictive dieting, compulsive eating or skipping meals.

What is disordered eating

Disordered eating can include behaviours that reflect many but not all of the symptoms of feeding and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).

Disordered eating behaviours, and in particular dieting are the most common indicators of the development of an eating disorder. Disordered eating has been linked to a reduced ability to cope with stressful situations, as well as an increased incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours (particularly in adolescents).

Examples of disordered eating

Fasting or chronic restrained eating

Skipping meals

Binge eating

Self-induced vomiting

Restrictive dieting

Unbalanced eating (e.g. restricting a major food group such as ‘fatty’ foods or carbohydrates)

Laxative, diuretic, enema misuse

Steroid and creatine use – supplements designed to enhance athletic performance and alter physical appearance

Using diet pills

Why are disordered eating and dieting dangerous?

Dieting is one of the most common forms of disordered eating. Research shows that dieting is common among people with eating disorders.

Severely restricting the amount of food you eat can be a very dangerous practice. When the body is starved of food it responds by reducing the rate at which it burns energy (the metabolic rate), this can result in overeating and binge eating behaviours that can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Feelings of guilt and failure are common in people who engage in disordered eating. These feelings can arise as a result of binge eating, ‘breaking’ a diet or weight gain. A person with disordered eating behaviours may isolate themselves for fear of socialising in situations where people will be eating. This can contribute to low self-esteem and significant emotional impairment.

Diets don’t work

Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they have lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher. Weight loss and ‘fad’ diets do not take people’s individual requirements into consideration and can result in a person feeling hungry, experiencing low moods, lacking in energy levels and developing poor health.

What are the risks associated with disordered eating and dieting?

The risks associated with disordered eating are severe. People with disordered eating may experience:

Osteoporosis - a condition that leads to bones becoming fragile and easily fractured

Fatigue and poor sleep quality

Constipation and/or diarrhoea

Headaches

Muscle cramps

Is it possible to change disordered eating and dieting behaviour?

Yes. It is possible to change eating behaviour, even if you have been engaging in disordered eating and dieting for many years. With the right support and treatment and a high level of personal commitment your body can learn to function to its full capacity again.

Seeking help from a practitioner with specialised knowledge in health and nutrition can assist you in reversing the adverse effects of disordered eating and restoring emotional, mental and physical health.

Getting help

Dieting is the number one cause of the onset of an eating disorder and seeking help early is the best preventative measure. Contact your GP for a referral to a practitioner with specialised knowledge in health, nutrition and eating disorders.

This Internet site is presented by the Butterfly Foundation as co-ordinating agency of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration for the purpose of providing information and resources on the prevention and management of eating disorders for the benefit of the public. The Butterfly Foundation as co-ordinating agency of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration monitors the information available on this Internet site and updates the information regularly. The Commonwealth and the Butterfly Foundation do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this Internet site or on any linked site.

The National Eating Disorders Collaboration is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health.

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